C.R. RoughRiders get boost with return of defenseman Riese Zmolek

CEDAR RAPIDS - Just listen to what Riese Zmolek went through in the offseason.

He had a chronically bad hip that was diagnosed as a torn labrum. So surgeons went in to repair that.

The torn labrum was caused by leg bone growth. So the offending bone was shaved down.

Umm, ouch.

'It's been hurting me for awhile, so it was good to get it taken care of,” the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders defenseman said. 'It still gets sore sometimes. But I remember last year I couldn't even go out for a pregame skate without it hurting. Not even going full (bore). Now it's fine.”

That's a good thing for the RoughRiders, who play this weekend at Chicago and Muskegon.

The return of the second-year defenseman should help the club in several areas, including leadership. On what has become essentially a brand new team, Zmolek is one of the few guys around capable of providing that important trait.

'Another year in the league, you're going to be more confident,” Zmolek said. 'You know what to expect. So I just want to be able to make the smart, simple plays better than last year. Just help the other guys who haven't been in the league before.”

'Leadership is all about emotional intelligence,” RoughRiders Coach Mark Carlson said. 'That's one of the most important things in leadership. If you don't have emotional intelligence, you don't have a chance to lead. I think he has that. He understands situations, he understands people, he understands groups, he understands individuals, he understands the whole deal.”

Zmolek, 20, played in 56 games last season for the Riders, picking up three goals and 11 points. He provided a physical presence from the back end, as his 112 penalty minutes show.

He got his surgery on June 9, laying in bed or sitting in a chair for two weeks before even having the ability to become mobile with crutches. He couldn't even begin doing upper-body exercise until August.

Zmolek got back onto the ice in September and finally rejoined the team a month later. A few practices, and finally he was able to play again.

His first two games came last weekend, and Carlson thought he looked good.

'I like his mental toughness, his physical toughness,” the coach said. 'He works so hard off the ice, he's in great shape. He has leadership ability, puts the team first. There is an awful lot to like about what he brings to our team.”

'It was a long process,” Zmolek said. 'I'm still working on that. With each practice, it's getting better and better. With each game, it's getting better. It was definitely a big mental game for me at first to stay positive, because you can't do anything. It's no fun at all. Then especially when the season started here, I just wanted to be with the boys.”

The RoughRiders (0-11-2) continued overhauling their roster this week, trading second-year forward Sam Sternschein to the Lincoln Stars for a draft pick and bringing in forward Bobby Hampton from the Chicago Steel. Thursday, the club sent second-year forward Pavel Tkachkov to the Minnesota Magicians of the lower-level North American Hockey League.

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